New York’s Staten Island. Searching for a wide variety of seafood on Staten Island? There are twelve trustworthy places to capture a fresh catch if you’re a home cook or would rather have someone else do the cooking.
Even though these locations have been carefully selected for you, it is advisable to complete these three tasks independently while at the store:
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Sniff.
Environs should not have a strong ammonia or fishy odor. And the fish itself should smell fresh like the sea.
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Get a closeup look
. Ask the fishmonger to pick up the item for your closer inspection and, yes, to take a whiff.
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Note the details.
A whole fish in its prime has clear eyes, a springy flesh and smells like the sea. An expert breaking it down in the store from its head-to-tail state assures the freshest possible product.
These are my current top choices for the borough’s greatest dedicated fish markets. Every location has unique characteristics and specialties.
1.) Manuel Fish Market (718-301-8229) 1369 Forest Ave., Port Richmond
This is a solid, busy utilitarian store with a shucker on duty that was once known as the venerable Verrazano Seafood under a previous owner. There is an abundance of entire fish and the variety is outstanding, making it suitable for a wide range of cultures. Crab and lobsters can be ordered ahead of time.
Hours: daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
2.) Carlos Fish Market 718-967-5758, 3852 Richmond Ave., Eltingville
Details like complimentary fish cleaning, individualized attention, and careful packing are examples of exceptional customer service and great value. Fillet types, live Maine lobsters, snow crab legs, Alaskan King crab legs, and live blue crabs when available are also part of the inventory.
Hours: Monday through Friday Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Sunday closed; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Here’s a little inside baseball: Octopus Gardens’ kitchen in Elm Park is home to these tenderizing tanks. The family-run company, previously of Gravesend, is situated beneath the Bayonne Bridge. (Silvestri, Pamela; Staten Island Advance)(Pamela Si/Staten Island Advance)
3.) Octopus Garden 15 Newark Ave, Elm Park; Facebook: Octopus Garden; 718-946-1100
There are plenty of octopuses and a good assortment of frozen foods beneath the Bayonne Bridge. Fresh and seasonal seafood is also available, along with treats like calamaretti, snails, blackfish, scarlet prawns, sometimes known as carabineros, and a range of eight-legged species in different sizes that can be pre-tenderized.
Hours: Monday through Saturday Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed on Sundays.
(Belfiore Altlantic Fishery and Produce, Willowbrook, 2500 Victory Blvd.; 718-477-1041)
Atlantic Highlands has a good selection of locally caught fish options that can be purchased as filets or prepared for dinner, such as stuffed, fried, or blackened, and/or taken to-go with a side dish like mashed potatoes.
Daily hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; on Sundays, they close at 2 p.m.
5.) Grasmere’s Fisherman’s Coveat Met Foods, 1177 Hylan Blvd., 718-720-5800
Fish salad, salmon, flounder, shrimp, Vongole clams, fresh mussels, scallops, and heat-and-serve options are all available in this 21-year-old fish section. On-duty knowledgeable fishmongers are able to shuck clams and oysters and offer basic meal preparation advice. For holidays and special events, you can order live lobsters, crabs, and other catches a few days in advance.
Hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday; 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.
6.) Sea Breeze at 718-524-0800, Met Foods, 1795 Victory Blvd., Castleton Corners
Between the completely decent assortment of fresh options and the adjacent condiment and canned fish areas, which are always so carefully merchandized by Met, this is a terrific spot to play Iron Chef.
Hours: daily from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
7.) La Bella Marketplace (Press 2 then 3) 99 Ellis St., Tottenville, 718-967-2070LabellaMarkets.com
Excellent spot for Italian delicacies and notable source for the so-called Feast of the Seven Fishes. The vast frozen inventory is admirable.
Hours: Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sundays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
8.) Rossville/Woodrow Fish Market655 Rossville Ave., Rossville; 718-317-6947
For staples like mussels, clams and shrimp, its a reliable source of fillet, as opposed to the whole fish, salmon, sole varieties, halibut, tuna, Branzino and swordfish.
Hours: Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Lobsters can be ordered the same day from Lobster House Joe’s in Dongan Hills. Special orders like three-pounders or steamed ones to go should be called in at least a day or two ahead of time during the holiday seasons. (Silvestri, Pamela; Staten Island Advance)Pamela Silvestri
9.) Lobster House Joe s1898 Hylan Blvd., Dongan Hills;718-667-0003
The Dongan Hills location, the original, has a small display case. The restaurant offers a sit-down dining area and clam bar for on-premise consumption. It is a top-notch lobster and clam source with the crustaceans sold fresh or steamed.
Seafood-centric chef-prepped catering and steamed/broiled/stuffedlobsters, shrimp and other fish can be pre-ordered from the Charleston restaurant and 4707 Arthur Kill Rd., Charleston; 718-227-0003;Lobsterhousesi.com. There is no retail store at this South Shore location.
Hours: Both are open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily; Friday and Saturday til 11 p.m.
10.) Sea Breeze at Food Dynasty (formerly Top Tomato)1071 Bay St., Rosebank; 718-981-8571 or the main number at 718-816-1100
Seafood is presented whole and filleted, offering varieties that appeal to many cultural backgrounds and palates. For those who make fish stock from scratch, this is concession is a rich resource. Also enjoy some of the heat-and-serve preparations along with a few prepped salads.
Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.-ish daily
11.) Fish Market Ary81 Brook St., New Brighton, 347-466-4683
A fairly new neighborhood place that has picked up some of the former Castleton Avenue Boston Market regulars from way back when. Inventory is basic and fresh cleaned shrimp, fillet, clams, oysters, whiting, whole porgy and some frozen fish.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily
12.) Coast to Coast87 Grove Ave., 718-720-8008;Coast to Coast Meat & Fish Purveyors
For large non-commercial fish orders, this might be a surprising and wonderful source for some. Shopping the warehouse is not ideal for the average cook but the 50-year old business delivers to the house and pickup is available. Note for the holidays they need ideally four days lead time for orders. Look for the price list on Facebook (link above.) Payment can be in all forms.
Hours: 4 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and later throughout the Christmas/New Year s and Easter seasons.
Pamela Silvestri is Advance/SILive.com food editor. She can be reached [email protected].
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